Last Hope
by Galem
Summary: "If you wish to live, Mr. Attinger, I highly advise that you leave the Autobots be. If not, a force shall rise against you and they shall not stop til you and your entire team is terminated." Attinger really should have listened to that caller cause he was NOT fooling around.
1. Shadows

**A/N Hey everyone! It's me. Yeah, I know I'm suppose to be working on my Mata Nui, meet Primus fic, but this plot bunny would not stop biting me. Hopefully, now it'll leave me alone long enough to find that muse. Anyway, I hope you guys like this one. Enjoy!**

**Hasbro owns Transformers. I own my OCs.**

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><p>Pasadena, California, July 25, 2011<p>

Midnight

A silver Corvette tears down the empty highway in a desperate attempt to shake the three black SUVs that are rapidly gaining on its tail. A well-aimed missile strikes it near the left rear wheel, providing the desired reaction. The car transforms to its bipedal mode and scrambles to make a run for it. But with a blown pede, it was a difficult task. The Autobot manages to balance on his good leg to face his attackers; he refused to go down without a fight. Suddenly, the road around the pursuers explode as missiles rain down, causing them to veer into each other. A sports car appears out of nowhere at top speed and, in one fluid movement, transforms and hurdles itself into the pileup, taking out any survivors. The Autobot stares at the carnage in shock as the smaller bot tore mercilessly into the humans. The bot looks up at him and he finds himself staring at a familiar faceplate. He doesn't move when his rescuer strides out of the flames and up to him to gently touch his arm. He feels something sharp on the back of his neck and blacks out. The bright blue visor was the last thing he remembers.

Boston, Massachusetts, October 31, 2012

9:55 pm

A red Ferrari races through empty streets and alleyways. It successfully manages to get on the freeway out of town but it's blown onto the grass clearing the minute it was several miles out. The Ferrari shifts into its bipedal mode as it tries to get to its pedes to make a run for it. Sadly, a shot from one of the approaching black vehicles brings it to the ground. Fearful blue optics watch as the humans approach before starring in shock as the vehicles disappear in three balls of flames. Two, slender figures leap through the inferno and finish off any survivors while a third, larger figure approaches the downed Autobot. At first, he is terrified and tries to back away, but the bot simply kneels in front of him. They watch each other for some time. The Autobot's optics widen in shock as a servo goes to his chassis. The mech gives a faint smile. He rests a servo over the Autobot's spark and nods before handing him an Energon cube, which the bot hesitantly but desperately downs in two gulps. The empty cube is retrieved and subspaced. The mech stands and helps the bot to his pedes before hurrying him over to a nearby semi. The bot is ushered inside the trailer with the other mech and, as soon as the doors are securely closed, the semi drives off, flanked by two motorcycles.

Seattle, Washington, March 13, 2013

1:45 am

A blue Chevrolet Volt turns on a miraculously empty I-95 as it makes a desperate attempt to lose its hunters. Insuring that there were no innocents around or ahead, it cranks up its speed to its max. As the distance between it and the humans grows, so does the hope that swells in the Volt's spark. But it is short-lived as missiles from the human vehicles rain down on the asphalt around it, knocking it off course. In a last, desperate effort, the Volt transforms into his bi-pedal mode and makes a run for it. A shot to the back knocks him to the ground. He shutters his optics and braces himself for the final blow. But it never comes. Instead, he hears the familiar scream of more missiles incoming from...ahead of him? He looks over his shoulder at the sound of screaming humans to see his would-be killers scatter as their vehicles explode. The sound of quickly approaching engines causes him to look up ahead. Four- wait, five-vehicles race down the interstate toward the chaos. His optics nearly double in size as all five transform into their bipedal modes. Three charge past him to engage the humans while two run to help him. They don't say anything as they haul him to his pedes and load him into the trailer of a nearby semi. Before the door closes, he looks out to see the other three revert to their vehicle modes. He hears them drive past the trailer and could only figure out that they were taking point before going into stasis.

Cemetery Wind HQ

"Who the hell is interfering with our operations?!" A man with greying brown hair snarls as he watches the footage of the latest raid. Three raids for the past three years and not one kill. Every time they got close to killing another alien, other more powerful robots showed up and rescued them, killing his men in the process. And despite having the best trackers in the world on his team, they were still unable to figure out who these people were and where they came from. All he knew was that they were interfering with his objective and he refused to let anyone or anything get in his way. He would find them and eliminate them once and for all. But something in the back of his mind whispered that they would find him before he got the chance. He shoved the thoughts aside as he walks out of the building to get to a press conference. After all, he was doing what needed to be done to protect Earth and all of mankind. Nothing more.


	2. You bought a truck?

Paris, Texas

A black motorcycle pulls up to the Yeager residence. The rider cuts the engine and rests the bike on its stand before heading to the house, removing her helmet in the process, revealing the fair features of a 21-year-old woman with long, brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Brown eyes twinkle in excitement as she approaches the door. It swings open as a 17 year old blonde girl flies out at the brunette in greeting.

"Amy!" the blonde squeals as she envelopes her friend in a hug. Amy laughs at her friend's excitement.

"Hey Tessa! Thanks for letting stay here. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Amy! I'm just glad you're here." Tessa squeezed her one more time before releasing and all but dragged her, laughing, into the house and up to her room. Finally releasing Amy's arm, Tessa opened her laptop and hit a few buttons, pulling up the image of her secret boyfriend.

"Hey, Shane!" she called.

"Well, hey babe. What's up?" Tessa practically shoved Amy into the camera's view.

"Look who showed up." Amy smiled at her before turning her attention to the man in the screen.

"What's up, bro?" The sound of a tool chatting to the ground was heard as Shane's face morphed to that of pleasant shock.

"Amy!" He came closer to the camera. "You made it! I thought you were going to arrive next week."

She shrugged. "Well, you know me bro. Always moving fast."

"Yeah, typical Speed Racer." Both girls burst out laughing.

"Very funny, Shane." The sound of approaching engines caught Tessa's attention and drew her to the window. What she saw filled her with anger.

"I cannot believe him. I cannot believe this," she muttered as she stormed out of the room and looked out the bathroom window.

Amy shared a confused glance with Shane. "What's wrong, Tess?"

"What the hell?" Tessa passed Amy without a word, stormed down the stairs and out of the house. Amy stood still, trying to figure out what just happened.

"Maybe I should go now." Shane's voice broke the prolonged silence. "I'll call later, alright?"

Amy numbly nodded before finding her voice. "Yeah, sure, bro. Catch ya later." They nodded their farewells before the screen went black. Amy decided to venture out to the barn to see what it was that got Tess so riled up. The place was the perfect example of an organized junkyard, if that was even possible. She managed to maneuver her way through the obsolete metal and computer parts to reach the dirty, old, flat nose truck that had been stashed in the back of the barn. Looking back to insure that the other three had not noticed her, she quickly looked the truck over. She could just make out the faint blue and red flame design on the sides of the cab. Softly, she rested a hand on the cold metal and felt the faint thrumming underneath.

"Oh, thank, Primus," she whispered, letting out a shaky breath. Blinking back the tears, she rubbed her thumb in a circular motion before removing her hand, wiping the dirt on her navy jeans. "Para is going to flip when he hears this," she muttered to herself with a grin before taking her leave, making sure not to be spotted. Tessa returned several hours later to the house to make some dinner when she noticed a note on the refrigerator door.

_Tessa,_

_I just got called away for some early rehearsals so I might be back either late tonight or early tomorrow morning. Save me some dinner, please? Man, there is no way to draw puppy eyes on this thing._

_Your friend,_

_Amy_

Tessa grinned at the doodle that was supposed to be a pair of pleading puppy eyes before looking out the window to see that, yes, indeed, Amy's cycle was gone and a fresh track now trailed the driveway. With a shake of her head, she set the letter aside and proceeded in making Amy's favorite, tuna casserole.

New Orleans, Louisiana

10 P.M.

Cemetery Wind closes in on an abandoned ferry on the river. Copters fly above, transmitting read outs and scans of the area while a group of their agents climb aboard and, moving quickly yet quietly, make their way through the multiple floors till arriving on the roof, unaware of the extra member stalking them. An agent sets a bomb on one of the steamers and activates it, exposing a greenish yellow Autobot.

The Autobot makes a run for it but the humans succeed in blowing his leg off. As he lay injured, pleading for them to stop, the Autobot looked up to see two bots, one with a visor, the other with a battle mask. The visored one performed flips and rolls as they picked off the humans. The masked one walks calmly through the carnage with a flamethrower. He didn't see the result of their work as he was pulled to his pede by two mechs and rushed away to safety. Had he remained, he would've seen the bots position the flaming bodies in a pattern and disappear into the darkness in time for a tall, dark robot with green optics to walk into the chaos. He looked around disapprovingly, upset that his quarry had gotten away. He turned to leave and saw the bodies. They spelled out a fiery message that he could see due to his height.

'Till all are gone'

Lockdown stared at it, his processors working to decipher its meaning. He knew the line, "Till all are one", which was coined by Optimus Prime during the war. But this...this message was not that. If anything, it was a twisted version of the Autobots war cry. Meaning the Autobots had nothing to do with this. Something or someone else was behind this. And they were out for blood. He reverted to his alt. mode of a Lamborghini Aventador and drove off, leaving the few human survivors alone to pack and clean up. Agent James Savoy pulled out his radio and made a call.

"We lost the target. Same as before. Only this time, they left a message," Savoy reported. He had one of the mini-drones fly up to show what Lockdown had seen. Safe in his computer room, CIA agent Harold Attinger paled at the sight. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he grabbed his radio.

"Tell me you at least got a good look at who did this." He fought to keep the fear out of his voice as the words the man had said years ago came back to him,'A force shall rise against you and they shall not stop til your entire team is terminated.'

"No. We did not. They attacked, evacuated the target and disappeared. Couldn't get a good look due to the flames and explosions."

Attinger slammed the radio on the desk in rage. Blast, they had gotten away again. They had to be stopped! The man's warning rang through his head again. He shook it to clear his mind and focus on the task at hand. They needed to find Optimus and get the Seed. Then, they will hunt down the interlopers, this he promised. Shaking it off, he regained his composure and walked out the room. He had a meeting to get to.


	3. The meeting

**"Ripples of Hope" belongs to Orla Fallon (thank you, Allseer, for helping me with that :D)**

**"There's a place for us" belongs to Carrie Underwood**

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><p>Back at the Yeager residence<p>

Amy pulled up to the farmhouse, fully aware that she was exceedingly late. It was almost ten 'o clock, for crying out loud! She had just shut off the engine when something fast, bright and loud whistled past her and into the house. It took her a full minute to realize what the blazes that had been.

"Oh my God!" Half jogging, half running up the path, she quickly takes off her helmet as she reaches the porch steps, only to see Tessa quickly walking to the barn.

"Dad!"

"Tessa!" Tessa turns around to see Amy running after her, eyes wide in worry. "Tessa, what's going on? Did I just see a missile go into the house?!"

"Yeah, you did. Do you remember that truck Dad brought home yesterday?" Amy nodded. "Yeah, well, it's not a truck. It's a freakin' Transformer!" Without waiting for a response, Tessa turns on her heel and continues her stride to inform her father about a missile in the family room. Both girls rush into the barn, Tessa yelling at Cade about the missile when her message is lost in a scream as Cade stops her from proceeding further, Amy skidding to a halt behind them. Where the truck had been parked now stood a weak and battered Autobot who was flailing around with a cannon in his hands. At the moment, he had his back to them. But the minute he turned around and spotted them, he aimed his weapon.

"I'll kill you!" he growled. "Stay back!"

Cade stood in front of his daughter as he tried to calm the robot. "No. Don't shoot. Don't shoot!"

"Please, calm down! We're not going to hurt you!" The robot turned his gaze to Amy and she met it calmly. But the panicked voice of Cade's employee, Lucas, caught everyone's attention as he scrambled to his feet, trying to make a run for it.

"Call 911! Run!" he screamed as he darted for the door. Unfortunately, he only made it three steps before he found out how hard a Cybertronian gun is. Amy winced at the red mark on Lucas' forehead as he fell flat on his back.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt," she muttered to herself before returning her attention to the Autobot. He was pointing the cannon at Cade's approach but lowered it a fraction as he shook his helm, muttering something about damaged weapons systems.

"A missile hit your engine," Cade explained as he walked closer. "We took it out of you. You're hurt really bad. I'm just trying to help you. You're in my home. My name is Cade Yeager." The robot wiped his mouth with the back of his servo, calming down a bit. He thanked Cade, telling him that he was in his debt. Straightening up a bit, he leaned lightly against one of the rafters as he introduced himself.

"My name is Optimus Prime." And like a light switch, he went from calm to borderline panic as he went on about how his Autobots were in danger and that he needed to go to them now. He collapsed to his knees, a part of his helm falling off and landing in front of Cade, the now bare circuitry leaking green lubricants. Amy jerked forward, desperate to help. It hurt her heart to see such a great leader reduced to this. But he couldn't leave now! Not in this condition!

"You can't just up and leave right now! Without some repairs, you are not going to last the night. I suggest you let Cade fix you up a bit. He's an engineer. He can help you."

Optimus looked at the brunette with curious optics. Why was this human female talking to him like that? Wasn't she afraid of him? Cerulean blue searched chocolate brown. He did not find any fear in her; instead he saw sorrow, concern and a desire to help. "Who are you?"

"My name is Amy Knight. I'm a songstress." She was about to say more but Cade cut her off.

"What happened to you?" he asked Optimus as he motioned for Tessa to come closer. She did but still kept her distance. Optimus managed to straighten himself so that he was kneeling on one knee.

"An ambush. A trap. Set by humans." He let out several harsh coughs. "I escaped and took this form."

"But you're on our side. Why would humans hurt you?" Optimus looked at the blonde female behind Cade, just managing to catch Amy's low mutter of "because they're idiots", before answering.

"They were not alone." He struggled to his pedes, a servo protecting the wound in his torso. "My Autobots can repair me." Amy rolled her eyes at this. He honestly thinks he can just waltz out of here with those wounds? The mech obviously hit his helm one too many times. Thankfully, Cade seemed to agree with her.

"Yeah, if you can reach 'em." He picks up the fallen helm piece. "What about me?"

Amy smiles. "Toldja he could help," she looked up at Optimus and could clearly see the fear and distrust in his optics. "Please, Optimus. Let us help you. Please."

Optimus shifts his gaze between Cade and Amy, debating whether or not to take the risk. On the one hand, they could be telling the truth and really want to help him. Or they could be lying and dismantle him for scrap. Admitting to the fact that he barely had any energy at the moment to make a run for it, he relented to let them patch him up. Cade pulled out some paper and began to write a list, vocalizing some of the items aloud. Amy piped up every now and again from where she was prying loose some of the imbedded bullet casings with a suggestion that he would jot down. Optimus watched as Cade left with Lucas then turned his attention to the blonde girl who was watching the brunette with wide eyes as she paused to take off her black jacket, revealing a tan t-shirt, before getting right back to what she was doing.

"Tessa, if you're still nervous, you can go back to the house. I'm sure Cade has had Lucas remove that missile by now." Amy grunted as she pulled a particularly stubborn casing. "Man, stuck there pretty tight. Hmmm," she looked around for something to loosen it, a crowbar or some grease…ah, there we go! She snatched a container of car grease and a rag and got to work applying the lubricant between the metal of the casing and Prime's chassis. "Tess, I know you're worried and I know you're scared," she glanced over her shoulder, "but you just have to trust me on this, okay?" A hesitant nod was her answer. "Good. Now, don't you have finals to study for?" Tessa blinked in surprise. Her finals!

She completely forgot about them! With a grateful nod, she runs out of the barn and into the safety of the house. Amy rolls her eyes as she got back to tugging. Cade returned soon afterwards; he pulled out his blowtorch and some spare metal he had lying around to start welding. Amy abandoned the bullet casings to help Cade pry and replace parts of Optimus' armor that was too badly damaged as well as fix and replace several wiring that where stripped or fused together from the heat. They finished replacing Prime's helm piece and both Cade and Optimus couldn't help noticing that Amy seemed very familiar and fluent with the repair work. Cade shrugged it off, thinking that her dad had taught her.

"Took a hell of a hit. The missile just missed your power source."

Amy twisted around to look up at what Cade was referring to and had to swallow a string of curses at the sight of the damage. Doc and Sol would so have a fit if they saw this.

"It's called a Spark, Cade," she informed him. "It contains their life force and memories."

Cade couldn't tell what startled him more: the fact that she knew what a spark was or the hurt tone her voice had adopted. Glancing up at Prime, he saw the same surprise he felt.

"Yeah, we call it a soul." Flipping his welding mask down, he missed the relieved smile that was shot sent his way. But Prime caught it as he helped remove the bullets that were beyond her reach. He had removed another casing from his shoulder when he decided to speak his mind.

"Cade, why are you willing to help me?"

Cade paused a moment to contemplate the question. "I guess maybe because you trust me to." He went back to fixing a salvageable piece of armor. Optimus ran the answer through his processor before turning to Amy who was now working to get some of the dirt and grime out of his joints.

"And you, Amy? Why are you willing to help me?"

The girl paused mid-scrub, her eyes gaining a distant look. Taking a deep breath, she turned fully to the Autobot leader, meeting his optics. Optimus was lightly taken aback at the fierce determination that burned in her chocolate gaze.

"Because I believe in the Autobots. The government can spout all the lies they want but I know the truth. You are not merciless killers and you're not dangerous. They have no right to hunt you down like this!" Tears streamed down her face as she fairly yelled that last sentence. Cade was stunned into silence at her outburst and his jaw nearly hit the ground when Optimus gently scooped her in his hand and held her close to his repaired chestplate over his spark, making shushing sounds as he gently rubbed a thumb over her back to comfort her.

"Shh, shh, easy, youngling. It's alright."

Cade could not resist the small smile as he watched this giant Autobot act like a father comforting his distraught child. It reminded him of when Tessa would run to him in tears because of something someone had said at school or she was just missing her mother. Quietly putting his tools away, he leaned back to watch them when her words came back to him. He frowned. He never knew she had felt so strongly about the Autobots and wondered how long she had suppressed it. Apparently, a long time, maybe years if her tears where anything to go by.

"Why would you believe so strongly in us?" Optimus asked, interrupting Cade's thoughts. Amy didn't look at him. Instead, she snuggled closer to him as if trying to get closer to his spark. When she finally answered, her voice was just above a whisper but in the silence, it was pretty loud.

"Because I love you."

Optimus jerked his helm up in shock. He blinked back the energon tears that threatened to fall. This human girl…loved him? Loved his Autobots? He shuttered his optics for a moment. As much as he didn't want to believe it, seeing that he had been betrayed far too many times, he could sense the truth in her words and his scans showed no falsehood. She genuinely loved him and he had the feeling that if it came to blows, she would give it her all to protect him, even if it meant her life. His grip tightened minutely at that thought. He did not want to lose possibly the only person on this planet who loved him. He had lost too many loved ones to this war. He was so caught up in his grief, he did not notice the tears that were falling until a small hand began to wipe them away. He also became aware of a soothing voice singing in his audio.

"Cast a stone from water's edge

Look at your reflection

Play a tune from long ago

And make the people listen

We are one voice,

In harmony

We are a nation living

Let's remove the barriers

That keep the heart from breathing

Raise your voices strong and loud

Speaking with one meaning

Don't be afraid of the road before us

A new dawn breaks

On mountains high

On lakes, on land and forest

We will raise the voice of hope

And walk the road before us

Raise your voices strong and loud

Speaking with one meaning

Don't be afraid of the road before us

Don't be afraid of the road before us."

Cade looked on in awe as the tension bled out of Optimus as he was lulled into recharge by Amy's singing. Once she was certain that Prime wasn't going to online anytime soon, she carefully climbed down to the ground and joined Cade in slipping out of the barn as quietly as possible.

Tessa had made alfredo with salad for dinner and there was no sign of Lucas yet, which concerned Amy a bit. The sound of Amy's loud ringtone, the trademark ringtone from Kim Possible which had Tessa snickering, caused all three of them to jump, shattering the prolonged silence of their meal. Smiling apologetically, Amy excused herself as she took the call to the family room. Tessa and Cade focused on the rest of their meal, respectively ignoring the low muttering from the other room. They tensed at a loud "scrap!", followed by a thud on the wall. Cade leapt to his feet and turned the corner to see Amy still on the phone.

"How bad?" The answer must not have been good as she slammed her fist in the wall again with an angry growl, this time drawing blood. "Thanks Charles. Keep me posted. Bye." She snapped her phone shut and just stood there, lightly trembling in rage. "Why?" she whispered. "Why, why, why, WHY?!" She rammed her hand into the wall as she shouted the mantra.

"Whoa, whoa. Hey." Firm hands grab her shoulders and turn her away from the wall and to the nearby sofa. She allowed herself to be seated but refused to acknowledge her helper. Tessa came in with the first aid kit to see her dad sitting next to Amy on the couch, trying to get her attention.

"What's wrong?" Cade tilted his head to look at her eyes but she turned away. "Amy? Amy, look at me." Hesitantly, she returned her gaze to him. She cast a glance at Tessa who had knelt in front of her and was now bandaging her hand. Tessa caught the look and smiled reassuringly. Amy shifted her gaze to lock with Cade's. He frowned when he saw the tears and sheer hopelessness he found there.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He let her take a few minutes to gather herself. She hissed a bit when Tess rubbed some healing cream on one of the cuts.

"There was an accident." Amy started, talking slowly as she struggled to find the right words. "There was a fire last night where one of my friends works."

Tessa finished with her hand and gave her arm a gentle squeeze as they waited for her to continue.

"Everyone got out alive. No deaths, just burns and scratches. The building was lost though."

"Is your friend alright?"

Amy saw the worry and hope in Tessa's eyes. She hated to have to dash that hope. "No," she shook her head and stared at her lap. "He got caught under a burning support beam. They managed to get him out and to a hospital in time. They just got the analysis for the doctor. They had to amputate his leg due to infection from the third-degree burns and…"she choked at this point, the tears coming faster. Tessa sat on her other side and placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"They said…the doctors said that…when the plank came down, it hit his back and shattered several of the vertebrae. He'll never walk again." A sharp intake was all she heard before she found herself sandwiched between the two. She let them cling to her for some time before wiggling herself out of their grasp, claiming she wanted to go outside for a while if they didn't mind. They watched as she left, neither knowing what to do or say.

After they had put the food and dishes away, Cade went out to the barn to check on Optimus. As he neared the door, he paused. There was singing coming from inside. As quietly as he could, he opened the door and slipped in. What he saw brought a smile on his face. Optimus Prime sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor with Amy sitting in his hand, singing softly. But this time, the song was not a lullaby. Instead, it seemed as if she was trying to reassure both herself and Optimus that there was a place for them. Cade stood back and listened.

"So when you feel like giving up

Cause you don't fit in down here

Fear is crashing in, close your eyes and take my hand yeah.

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.

It's written in the stars that shine above

A world where you and I belong

Where faith and love will keep us strong

Exactly who we are is just enough

There's a place for us, there's a place for us.

When the water meets the sky

Where your heart is free and hope comes back to life

When these broken hands are whole again

We'll find what we've been waiting for

We were made for so much more

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe

It's written in the stars that shine above

A world were you and I belong

Where faith and love will keep us strong

Exactly who we are is just enough

There's a place for us, there's a place for us

So hold on, hold on

There's a place for us

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe

It's written in the stars the shine above

A world were you and I belong

Where faith and love will keep us strong

Exactly who we are is just enough

Exactly who we are is just enough

There's a place for us"

Cade left as quietly as he arrived and went to bed. He knew those two would be alright in each other's company. The look of hope in Prime's face was the last thing he saw in his mind's eye before giving into sleep's embrace.


	4. Scrap, we're in trouble!

Early in the next morning found Cade back in the barn working on Optimus. Amy had brought her bike in to give it a tune up after breakfast and a shower. She was so grateful to be out of her dirty, dusty clothes from yesterday and into the fresh, clean ones she had brought with her. She came out of the house wearing a pair of light blue jeans, white converses, and a black tank top under a plaid button-up blouse. Her hair was now in a braid and she fiddled with the latch to her silver necklace from which hung a diamond pendent. Tessa looked up from her books when she heard Amy hiss in pain to see that her hair had gotten caught on her hand.

"Here, let me help you with that." Tessa jumped up and grabbed ahold of her friend's hand, stilling it, as she gently detangled the curls to reveal a black ring set with a blue diamond in the center and smaller white diamonds in the band. She gasped.

"Oh, Amy! What a beautiful ring! Where did you get it?"

Caught off guard, Amy opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking like a fish out of water, before her brain finally caught up. She smiled sheepishly, her cheeks turning red as she looked at everything except Tessa.

"Keep a secret?" she asked, fingering the ring. Tessa nodded eagerly. Amy took a deep breath. "David gave it to me."

Tessa's eyes flew wide in surprise. Then she recognized which hand the ring was on. She let out a squeal and threw herself at her friend, hugging her tightly. "Congratulations, Amy! I'm so happy for you!" She giggled wildly. "When did he ask you?"

"Last week, before I came to visit. He proposed to me in the restaurant where we had our first date." Amy giggled at the dreamy look in Tessa's eyes. "You'll get your turn soon, Tess. Now, may I have my hands back? I need them to give my bike a tune up."

Tessa immediately let go with a grin. "Of course. Are you going to tell Dad?" Amy returned Tessa's grin.

"Of course. It wouldn't be fair not to tell him, now wouldn't it?" Tessa laughed at Amy's cheekiness as she took her seat again and returned to her books. Amy literally bounced half of the way to the barn before running the rest of the way. She was so excited to tell the news.

"Good morning, Cade. Good morning, Optimus." She greeted as she walked through the door, closing it firmly behind her.

"Good morning, youngling."

"Morning, Amy."

Cade turned around to greet her when he noticed the wide grin on her face. He crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk.

"Alright, spill it. What happened?" It was enough to send her into a laughing fit.

"Nothing happened. Why?" she managed between giggles. Cade's smirk grew into a grin. It was good to hear her laugh but he wondered what had happened to put her in such a good mood. She was practically glowing in excitement. If he didn't know better, he would've thought that she was on a sugar high.

"Just wondering what has got you giggling like a schoolgirl after last night, that's all."

Optimus chuckled a bit at the friendly banter but he was also curious at her sudden change in behavior. He watched as she bounded up to Cade, her right hand fiddling with a piece of jewelry on the ring finger of her left, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"I wanted to tell you something earlier but in all the excitement, I forgot. Tessa reminded me when she helped me untangle my hand from my hair." She raised her left hand, showing them the jeweled black band that encircled her finger.

She fell into another fit of giggles at Cade's slack-jawed face. The clatter of a screwdriver falling out of his hand was the only warning she had before she was caught up in a tight embrace and spun in a circle, the two of them laughing loudly. Cade set her down and released her, panting lightly from the excitement.

"You…you're engaged?!" he got a nod as his answer. "Congratulations, kid!" He pulled her into another hug. "I'm so happy for you. God! This is just amazing!"

"Forgive me, but what do you mean she is engaged?" Breaking the hug, Cade opened his mouth to explain but realized he had no idea how to say it so Prime could understand. Closing his mouth, he shot a pleading look to Amy. She chuckled softly as she approached Optimus.

"It means I'm going to bond with my mate-to-be."

Optimus' optics flew wide in realization. "You found your sparkmate?" She nodded rapidly. "And you're going to bond with him?" More nods. Optimus grinned widely, for the first time in many years, as pure joy pulsed in his spark for the young girl. He carefully wrapped a servo around her and brought her up to his faceplates to nuzzle her gently.

"Congratulations, sweetspark." he smiled as he lowered her back to the ground. "May your union be blessed by Primus."

"Thank you, Optimus." She beamed up at him.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" Cade teased. Amy giggled again, a red tinge on her cheeks. She fell silent for a while but sensing that they weren't going to let up on her about it, she gave in.

"His name's David Raiado. He's an artist from Pasadena, California. He used to work at the Huntington Art Gallery there but then he got a better offer from the Frye Art Museum in my hometown of Seattle, Washington."

"How did you two meet?" Oh yeah, Prime was a sucker for romantic stories. She chuckled as she leaned against his pede. Cade was mildly surprised at how comfortable she was around Optimus.

"We met at a coffeehouse. A Starbucks, actually. I had gone in for my weekly treat of white chocolate latte, I don't drink coffee that much, and our drinks were called at the same time. On this day, we were pretty much in a rush so we, "she snickered a bit, "we weren't paying attention. We grabbed the other's coffee and ran out the door." There was a clang above them and they looked up to see Optimus had facepalmed himself. "I know. Silly, right? Well, I had only taken one sip when I realized I had the wrong cup. I decided to go back to the shop, hoping that this David guy would be there as well. He was, we switched cups, apologized for the mix up and wished each other a good day. I didn't see him again for two weeks, well, I didn't, he told me later that he would always drive along the route I took to work to ensure that I was safe." Cade and Optimus shared a knowing glace.

"Anyways, we met up again two weeks later at the same Starbucks. It was a karaoke night and I was performing. I was so focused on my song, I hadn't noticed he had come in and taken a seat at one of the tables in the corner until after my performance. And it just so happened that the table he was sitting at was, in fact, the table I always sat at. So when I saw him there, the first thing I said to him was "You're sitting in MY seat." He just looked at me with this 'so what?' attitude and did not move an inch. I didn't want to go to another table so I just sat in the seat across from him and stared out the window, listening to the other singers. I was just about to leave when he asked me if he could give me a ride home. At first, I was startled. Then, I got scared. I had always been taught to never ride with strangers but something seemed…right about him. Like I could trust him. So I agreed. He drove me home, walked me to my front door and just as he turned to leave, he asked me if we could meet up at the coffeehouse again after breakfast, before going to work. I don't know why I said it, but I said yes.

Next day, we sat down, chatted, got to know one another a bit better and when we left, we swapped phone numbers to keep in touch. We couldn't see each other that often due to his work at the gallery but we managed to find certain places to meet up at least twice a day or so. Soon, I started arriving to see him at art gallery openings and a few times, I actually surprised him by showing up. As time passed, we became close. I moved from being a bystander in the crowd watching my friend from afar, to standing by his side at the grand opening of his own work. I helped him face his guests, giving him the moral support and encouragement he needed.

The next time we were able to see each other outside the museum was when a disturbance started up downtown and grew into a crazy mob. David had gone down to get some more art supplies when all hell broke loose. No one knows who fired the first shot but it turned into a full-on shootout. I was on my way home when I arrived at the scene. I was about to run for cover and wait it out when I spotted David, crouched behind an overturned car, his arm bleeding. I managed to get a better look at the mob. They were gang members. Apparently, the police had walked right in the middle of a turf war." She paused as she recollected her thoughts of the event.

"I stayed hidden but I managed to maneuver myself to snag the gun of a fallen officer before anyone saw me. Now, I'm a military girl, born and raised all my life so I know how to handle a gun. Plus, my grandfather and uncle would take me out hunting sometimes, so…" she shrugged. "Anyway, long story short, I shot a lot of the gangsters-didn't kill them-just wounded them enough so the cops could arrest them. The others fled and I returned the gun and slipped away without being seen. Or, so I thought. The next day, there's a knock on my door. It was David. I invited him inside and we talked for a while. I noticed with great relief that his injury was just a flesh wound, nothing serious. But then he brought up about the shootout." She paused a bit to regain her breath. Her audience waited patiently for her to continue.

"He told me that he had seen me and that he was impressed with my shooting skills. He also told me that he would not report me unless I promised that I don't pull another stunt like that again. I told him that I wouldn't do it again if he promised to be more careful next time. I didn't like seeing him injured like that. He agreed and then asked me out to dinner that night. I agreed and he left. It wasn't til I had closed the door that I realized what I had just done."

Cade laughed. "Let me guess, you spent the whole afternoon freaking out." She nodded.

"Where did he take you?" Amy paused for a minute before turning to Optimus.

"He took me to the Olive Garden. He remembered that I had mentioned that I hadn't been there in a long time." She shook herself out of her thoughts and shot a grin up at Prime one more time before excusing herself to work on her motorcycle. Cade and Optimus talked a bit as he worked on Prime's shoulder guard. Amy joined in the conversation a few times and soon the conversation turned from Cybertronian anatomy to the planning of her wedding/bonding ceremony. Just as she was positive she was going to melt from embarrassment, Lucas walked in, directing Cade's attention to him. Amy sagged a bit in relief but tensed as she felt Prime's gaze on her. She looked up to meet it and saw that it was the 'we are not done talking about this' look. Scrap.

"About time you showed up. Where were you?" Cade demanded as he gathered the items from his employee and set them on the table.

"I had to go to the doctor. I got a welt on my head that makes me look like a freakin Star Trek character."

Amy rolled her eyes as the two bickered. She finished fixing up her bike and went to stand over by Optimus. Something about Lucas' story did not sit right with her and it was making her edgy. She leaned against Prime's leg as she tried to figure out what she was sensing. She didn't have long as Tessa's voice called from outside. Amy ran to the door and peaked out.

"Shoot! Cade, we got company! We need to hide Optimus!"

Cade immediately jumped into action. "Okay, do you see those boards over there?" he pointed to a part of the floor behind Optimus. He continued when she voiced an affirmative. "They're loose. Pull them out. It should be deep enough for Optimus to hide. Lucas and I will try to stall them."

"Be careful! There is something off about these new humans, Cade!" she called after him as she began tearing the floorboards apart. Optimus helped her and slipped in as soon as the hole was big enough. She covered the entrance after him with the broken boards, scrap metal and as many tarps as she could find. "There, that should do it."

"But, what about you?" Prime's voice floated from below. She quickly hushed him.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just lay low for now, kay?"

Optimus listened as her footsteps receded. He prayed she had found a secure hiding place as he heard the sound of multiple footsteps enter and scatter around above him, clearly searching the barn. It was a tense, ten minutes as Optimus listened to the creaking of the floor. Suddenly, his audios catch something different. He activated his scanners. There! A pair of footsteps that seemed to dance across the floorboards. He makes a recount. There were about six humans missing. Had they gone outside? He hadn't heard any footsteps leaving. Straining his audios a bit, he managed to hear the sound of a gun go off, a gun with a muffler on it. Seven down. Eight. Nine. Te…eleven? How? Whatever.

Optimus held still as his scanners told him that there were more of those men surrounding the perimeter. He was about to turn his attention back to locating the mysterious shooter when he heard Tessa crying and Cade yelling outside.

"Tell him to get away from my little girl, now!"

A gunshot went off. Tessa was still crying, pleading to be released while Cade shouted threats at their captors. Prime raised his audios in time to hear another man's voice give the order to shoot the girl. Oh no, not on his watch! He was NOT going to let Cade and his family die because of him. He faintly hears Amy's voice roar "hey ugly!" before breaking his cover with a roar of his own. He storms out of the barn, blasting several of the agents in the process.

"Here I am!" he yells as he shots down several more of the men. Out of the corner of his optic, he sees Amy charge the intruders with the rage of a tigress. Dancing out of their reach and aim, she whips out a pair of hand guns and takes down all twenty agents around the house, a single bullet to the heart or head before retreating behind the barn. He figured she was going to go get her bike which he hoped was undamaged. Suddenly, a blur of black and purple pass him, killing any human in its path but mindful of the Yeagers and Lucas. But no matter how many agents they shoot down, more kept showing up. Optimus caught sight of Cade and Tessa huddled behind a tree.

"Cade! They're trying to kill you! Get out of here!"

The humans make a run for it while Optimus heads for the road to lead Cemetery Wind away. He transformed back into his truck mode and gunned it as the house exploded behind him. The blur he saw before caught up with him and it was then that he realized that the blur was actually two vehicles: a purple car and a black motorcycle that he recognized as…Suddenly, the two veered off and changed direction. Checking his scanners, he realized that they were going after Cemetery Wind. Sending a quick prayer to Primus for their safety, he stayed on his course and focused on leading Lockdown towards an abandoned factory out of town.

Lockdown transformed and jumped on Optimus but failed to get a secure grip before he was ripped off the Autobot leader by another bot, this one navy blue with silver ghost flames. He and an emerald green bot restrained the bounty hunter while Optimus climbed to the roof. But Optimus did not have it in his spark to leave those two alone. Turning around, he aimed his cannon at the hunter.

"Get out of range!" he ordered as he fired a shot at Lockdown. The two bots obediently cleared out and ran off as the round hit Lockdown in the shoulder. With a snarl of rage, the bounty hunter pursued Optimus across the rooftops. Optimus didn't see his mysterious helpers again as he battled with Lockdown. Suddenly, he caught sight of a race car driving inside the facility, being chased by Cemetery Wind. He caught sight of one of the passengers.

"Cade!"

He didn't even pause to think, he acted. After tangling Lockdown in a crane cable, he threw himself in front of the black cars, hitting a few in the process, to buy Cade and the others some time to get away as well as creating some distance between himself and Lockdown. He managed to get some of the surviving humans to chase him to another part of the factory but as he turned the corner, he heard an explosion behind him. Skidding to a halt, he ran back to see a purple robot standing over the dead humans, a satisfied look on its faceplates. The bot turned its gaze to him and pointed to the west side.

"Your human friends are in danger, Optimus Prime." Optimus blinked. That voice was a female! "I suggest you go to them." The femme collapsed into her alt. mode and drove out of sight. Optimus stood speechless for a minute before her words finally clicked. Reverting to his truck mode, he sped off to find Cade and Tessa. He arrived in time to see their car pull to a stop under some scaffolding. Honking his horn, he alerts them to his arrival. With open doors, he watches at Cade, Tessa and another human male run to him but pause when a voice calls out behind them. Lucas manages to untangle himself from the car and hurries toward them. But he isn't fast enough. Lockdown appears above them and throws a grenade. Cade, Tessa and the other man manage to stay ahead of the blast but Lucas is not as fortunate. The smoke from the explosion clears to reveal a metal skeleton where Lucas had been. Casting one last glance at what had been their friend, the three humans climb into Optimus and he drives off to safety.

Savoy arrives in time to see them escape when Attinger's voice speaks up from his radio. "I'll bet you wish you could see my face right now."

"Actually, I don't. Especially after I tell you that those mysterious bots were here as well. They helped Optimus get away."

Attinger growled as he threw his phone across the room in anger, the little voice in the back of his mind whispering, "They will find you. You cannot escape them."


	5. We are all targets now

**A/N Hey everyone! Sorry about the late update. I did not forget about the story, I was just busy with my college work and some health problems. So, anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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><p>Amy drove out into the desert at high speed, desperate to get as much distance between her and Cemetery Wind as possible, though she doubted they were following anymore. She wasn't taking any chances. The image of the farmhouse going up in flames flashed in front of her. She blinked to fight back the tears. She couldn't believe it. The house was gone. Her friends were now being hunted. Life as they had known it was gone.<p>

Out of all the jumbled thoughts and questions that flipped through her mind, one stood out above all the rest. How the blazes did they find Optimus so soon? She ran through every possibility but came up empty. Then she remembered the odd feeling she had gotten from Lucas earlier. She felt like she had just gotten hit in the head with Prime's cannon. Of course! Lucas made the call! He believed that idiotic promise of reward money and had called the authorities on Optimus. That's why he took so long coming back and why Cemetery Wind found them so fast. Now that that was settled, her thoughts went down the path of what she was going to say when she sees Lucas again.

She was so focused on planning her lecture that she hardly noticed when a blue light appeared in her visor, alerting her of an incoming call. She pressed a button on the side of her helmet.

"Is that you, Amy?" A concerned, baritone voice filled her ears. She heaved a sigh of relief.

"Optimus! Yeah, big guy, it's me. How did you find me?"

"Are you even watching the road?" Confused, she looked up…and made a sharp turn to the left to avoid running smack into the semi.

"Whoa!" She yelped as she lost control and fell off. Optimus transformed and snatched her in his servos, scanning her for any injuries.

"Are you unharmed?" he asked, worry lacing his words. She took off her helmet and smiled up at her big friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Optimus relaxed a bit, lips twitching upward in a light smile as he held her near his chestplate, letting out a relieved vent.

"What happened back there? After we left the farm? The last I saw of you guys, Shane was driving off with Cade and the others and you were speeding down the road with that grey Lamborghini on your tail."

Optimus shuttered his optics for a minute before unshuttering them to glare at the horizon. Try as he might, he couldn't keep the anger out of his voice. "That Lamborghini was Lockdown. He's a bounty hunter determined to capture me. He killed Lucas."

Amy gasped as the anger drained out of her and her body went numb at the news. Lucas was dead? Yes, he had made a mistake and she had been mad about it, but still…She closed her eyes as she silently mourned his passing. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she looked up to see anger in Prime's optics and laid a hand on his palm, catching his attention. She changed the subject.

"Why would a bounty hunter come after you? Megatron and the Decepticons are gone. The war is over. Unless…" her eyes widened as realization set in. She looked up to Optimus for confirmation.

"He is working for someone else. But who, I do not know."

Amy threw her head back in annoyance. "Great. Just great. As if Cemetery Wind wasn't enough to worry about."

Optimus bowed his helm as if in deep thought while Amy glanced around. They couldn't stay here very long else they risk being spotted. She stood up, supporting herself on one of Optimus' digits. "We should find Cade and the others and get out of here. It's not safe."

Optimus nodded as he set her down near her bike. "Agreed. Cade and Tessa are at a refueling station five clicks from here." He gestured down the road with his helm. "I will meet you there after I am sure we were not followed."

"On mah way! Later OP." Slipping her helmet back on, she got on her bike and shot off. Optimus smiled after her before taking his leave. It wasn't until he was three clicks out that he recognized where he had heard that parting before. He nearly slams on the brakes at the pain of the memory. He still missed his dear and oldest friend. But why did Amy just speak in that dialect? Then again, he had only known her for two days: she probably talked like that around her friends for all he knew. Still, it was weird. He shook it off and focused on his rounds.

Amy pulls up to the abandoned gas station in time to see Tessa storm out of the back door. She waits until the blonde has turned the corner before walking her bike up to the building and leaning it against the wall. She takes off her helmet and stands still for a moment, unsure if she should go in. The tension was so thick; she could feel it out here. But she really wanted to get out of the sun for a while. With a groan, she enters the station to find Shane and Cade sitting in uncomfortable silence.

"Uh, hi Cade. Hey Shane." She waved nervously.

"Amy." Shane wrapped her in a relieved hug which she gladly returned. She caught sight of the look Cade shot their way and broke the embrace but still stayed in contact.

"I see you met my cousin, Shane Dyson." she managed a smile to hide her nervousness. Cade blinked.

"Cousins? You two are cousins?" The two nodded. Amy fidgeted a bit under Cade's scrutinous gaze. "Does Tessa know?"

"Yes, it was through Shane that Tessa and I met. I was over at his place for a visit when he was on Skype with her. He explained our relationship, introduced us and the rest is history."

Cade just looked at them then walked to the front door. Amy looked up at Shane. "I take it he didn't take the news of you and Tessa well."

"Nope, he didn't." Amy moaned a bit before a yawn escaped her. Shane smiles and gives her a side hug. "G'wan, get some sleep. I got a feeling tomorrow is going to be a big day." Amy caught the emphasis on 'big' and cast a knowing smile at her cousin before bidding him and Cade good night. Later that night, Cade was busy hacking a drone he had taken when they were escaping Cemetery Wind. Crossing a few wires, he managed to pull up footage of Autobots being attacked and destroyed by Cemetery Wind. But a few of the recordings showed something completely different and he had to rewind it several times to make out what it was.

"Who are you?" he muttered as he stared at the silhouette of a bot glaring at the camera with dark, glowing optics. He was so caught up in the image that he did not notice the identical pair of eyes behind him. An hour later, Cade turned off the screen, put away the drone and retired to whatever he could find to sleep.

The sky had just begun to brighten when Cade woke up. Jumping straight into work, he began to grab any crates and boxes available and started filling them with anything that could come in handy. He went over and awakens Shane and Tessa, telling them to grab whatever they could use for supplies and to bring the computer as well. He walked outside to find Amy leaning with her back against the wall near her motorcycle, arms crossed over her chest. She turns to him, the light of the rising sun glinting off of her black sunglasses.

"Morning, Cade." she greets him as she looks out over the horizon.

"Have you been here all night? I didn't see you in the station when I went to sleep."

Amy smirked as she shifted her weight a bit. "Nah, I'm just an early riser. As for last night, yes, I was up when you went to bed but it was because there was a clear night last night. I wanted to see the stars."

Cade nodded in understanding. He remembered when she first came out to the farm that she mentioned that she loved stargazing, something she couldn't really do in the city. "Any constellations?"

She smiled this time. "I saw Leo and Andromeda. Didn't see Orion anywhere though. He was probably below the horizon." It was his turn to smile at the disappointment in her voice. Orion was her favorite constellation. Some nights, he would hear her talking to it like an old friend. When he asked about it, she explained that ever since she was little, she had felt a strong connection with Orion. She didn't know how or why, she just did. Cade just accepted it as her way of coping with change.

He faced the road at the sound of an approaching engine. "There he is." Cade looked at Amy as she past him to walk to the front door. "Hey guys, our ride is here." No sooner had the words left her mouth that Optimus pulled up. Cade, Tessa and Shane packed up the stuff they had salvaged and piled in. Since there was only room for three, Amy followed on her cycle. They pull up to a truck stop where Amy got some gas for her bike while Cade used the drone to access his account in a nearby ATM. Amy made it back to the group just in time as cops soon swarmed the area where Cade had tried to use the ATM. The group travels on through the desert, black Firebird behind a beat up flatnose. They pass a White West Star semi in the opposite lane. Suddenly, Optimus transforms…into the truck they had just passed!

"Holy!" Amy struggles not to slam the brakes in shock as she stares at the bright, new truck in front of her. Her eyes roam over the fresh looking paint job of blue and red flames, the mirror-like chrome and the three sets of pipes on the back of the cab. Uttering a low whistle, she pulls up alongside him, looking him over. Tapping the side of her helmet, she activates her comm. Inside the truck, Tessa's cell phone rings. Flipping it open, she put it on speakers.

"Hello?" she asks timidly.

"Holy frijoles, Optimus!" The three humans jump at the volume. "You look awesome! My God, your paint job is, dare I say it, smokin' hot! Hoo! Someone call the fire department cause this mech is on FIRE!" The humans, who had been hiding their snickers behind their hands for the duration of the call, lost it when Amy practically sang that last word.

"Amy! Stop it!" Tessa gasped before falling into another giggle fit.

"I think you embarrassed the big guy, Amy," Shane managed to get out between chuckles. "It's getting hot in here."

Amy's laughter flowed from the phone. "Hey, what can I say? Prime is one hot bot. Mech's got style."

Cade waved his hands in an almost pleading gesture. "Amy, I think you'd better stop before you break Optimus." A playful groan of disappointment was his answer.

"Oh, alright. But I meant what I said, OP." The call cut off. Once the three managed to calm down, Cade placed his hand on the dashboard.

"You okay, Optimus? She didn't embarrass you too much, did she?" The dashboard still felt a bit warm.

"Yes, I'm alright." The baritone voice that came from the speakers sounded a tad flustered. "It's just, well, no one has ever really complimented me before. I hardly remember the last time I received such praise."

Cade was about to say something to that but was cut off when Optimus drove past and around a jogging green and black Autobot. "Yeah! Mr. Leader of the Free Galaxy is back. I knew you'd make it. I never doubted." Amy rolled her eyes as she pulled to a stop alongside Optimus.

A helicopter flew in and transformed in mid-air, landing right next to the Aussie bot. The black and blue samurai smacked his friend in the arm before saluting Optimus in a Japanese fashion. "We got your warning. We've been waiting." Now that made her smile.

"Hell, yeah. Boom time. We got the gang back together." Startled, Amy whirled around to see a large, rotund green bot standing behind them. She did a double take. This guy was a walking arsenal! He had weapons upon weapons for weapons and who knows how many rounds strapped to his chassis. But despite how intimidating he looked, she could not resist the grin that bloomed on her face and it only got bigger when she caught sight of a black and yellow bot walking over the ridge to join them. Tessa, Cade and Shane joined her on the ground as Optimus transformed into his upgraded, bipedal mode.

"Humans have asked us to play by their rules. Well, the rules have just changed." Amy's mirth disappeared at the serious tone in Prime's voice. She paid close attention to the conversation as well as the bots' body languages.

"Human beings, bunch of backstabbin' weasels." Amy snorted softly. Well, that was putting it mildly.

"Hound, find your inner compass. Loyalty is but a flower in the winds of fear and temptation." Amy blinked twice at the samurai in rapid succession. Say what now?

"What the hell are you saying?" Hound took the words right out of her mouth. Well, not per verbatim, but close enough.

"It's a haiku." Oh, so that's what it was! Well, that just clears it right up…not!

"Cut the crap, before I drop a grenade down your throat." Ho boy! Amy immediately got out of their proximity and stood closer to Tessa. Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure that her bike was still safe before turning her attention back to the bickering bots. The samurai had just pulled his swords out on the green bot.

"Try it, you'll be dead."

"Oh, please pull it. Please do it."

Amy facepalmed. "Ai Dios mio, Senor caprenda!" she muttered as she pulled her hand away in time to see the black and yellow bot throw his arms up in agitation.

"You know what, it'll save us so much time."

The green/black bot spoke up. "Well, raise your hand if you're thoroughly disenchanted with our little pleasant Earth vacation." Because he had his back turned, he did not see one of the humans actually raise their hand. "So, who's the stowaways?" Amy raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sudden turn around but didn't react otherwise to the gun barrel in her face. Cade and the others though, backed up a bit.

"Oh, whoa, hey! What's with the gun?"

Amy was about to make a retort about that but closed her mouth when the weapon dude pointed a Gatling gun at them. She was so grateful when Optimus spoke up. "Stop, Hound! Both of you! They've risked their lives for mine. We owe them."

Amy wanted to speak up right then and there and say that he didn't owe them anything, but something told her that it would not be best to start that argument. Instead, she turned to the green weapon bot. "So, your name is Hound?" The mech seemed to tense a bit.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?" She raised her hands in surrender.

"Nothing, mech, nothing at all. I just thought I'd at least know who was who around here."

The Aussie bot took up the conversation. "Name's Crosshairs. The one with the swords is Drift and that's Bumblebee over there." He pointed at the black/yellow mech who stood by Optimus. The humans nodded to each bot in greeting.

"Pleasure to meet you. I am Amy Knight. This is my friend, Tessa Yeager, her father, Cade, and my cousin, Shane Dyson." As he watched his Autobots interact with the humans, Optimus couldn't help but notice how Amy held herself. The way she moved, the manner in which she spoke, just everything about her screamed 'senior officer' to him. But that wasn't the only word that came to mind. With the way she was standing with her weight shifted to the side, arms loosely crossed over her abdomen and her eyes hidden behind the black sunglasses that seem to cover much of the upper part of her face like a visor…he vented deeply. Amy was so much like Jazz that he was tempted to consider that his third might actually have been somehow reborn in her. He shook his helm at the ridiculousness of the thought.

"Sensei." Drift's voice brought him back to the present. He turned to the ex-Con. "This area is too open. I suggest we move closer to a more secluded location to discuss our next move."

Nodding in agreement, Prime gave the order to head to one of the nearby rock formations. The sun was starting to set by the time the humans had made a descent campfire. Thankfully, the moon was full tonight, so that made it easier to see. Tessa had a blanket wrapped around her and sat next to her dad on a log near the fire while Shane and Amy sat on a perpendicular log next to them. Drift was seated on a rock not far from them, Bumblebee sat a ways with his back to the fire, Hound stood next to Drift and Crosshairs stood beside Hound.

"So, there's been no sign of any others?" Optimus strode up to the group, a small amount of hope in his optics. The others shook their helms sadly, extinguishing that light.

"Nada." Wow. Hound knew Spanish?

"We are all that's left." Jeez, Drift, could you possibly sound more depressed?

"They're picking us off one by one." O-kay, Crosshairs is mad.

"We're the pathetic, dirty foursome. And you make five." Now all we need is a big enough forest to hide in, some bows and arrows, maybe an extra sword or dagger and we can run around doing good deeds. Or we can just call Hound, Little John from now on. Amy put a hand over her mouth to hide the smile that threatened to split her face in half, hiding her snickers with a cough.

"So that's our best-case scenario? Autobot witness protection?" She rolled her eyes at her cousin, muttering under her breath.

"I take it over human witness protection any day." Shane sent her an apologetic frown when Cade spoke up again. She didn't hear what was said as she had quickly gotten up and left, uninterested in hearing the males fight. She walked over to stand by Prime's pede and good timing too. The clang of metal hitting metal made her turn around and stare at the sight of Drift and Bumblebee fighting. Drift pinned Bee under him, pressing the edge of his sword against the younger's neck cables.

"Am I the lone sage that sees through this puppy-dog eyes act? It's beneath you."

"Yes, I've been waiting for them all to dispatch each other, so I can take charge with no trouble at all. Just me reporting to me." Amy shot a glare over her shoulder at the paratrooper. What in Primus' name? She'd expect that type of thinking from a Con, not a Bot. Apparently, Cade was thinking the same thing if his "Well, it sure looks like you have been missed" comment to Optimus meant anything. Optimus stepped in to stop the infighting by changing the subject.

"Autobots, Lockdown is hunting us and humans are helping. We need to know why."

"Well, listen, I don't know why but I do have an idea about who." Amy perked up at Cade's words. He found something? She watched as Cade retrieved the drone from Optimus and asked Drift if he could help him project the images so the others could see. Soon, the video was playing across the rock face.

"This drone I stole recorded footage of an Autobot raid. It's in pieces, but watch what happens here." The image changes to show a short, red and white Autobot with a target on his abdomen getting blown by Cemetery Wind.

"Oh, that's Leadfoot." Hound's voice had a mournful edge to it.

"They rip him apart." Amy looked away, struggling to contain the anger boiling in her chest.

Hound saluted his fallen comrade. "Savages." He snarled, referring to the humans, not noticing Amy nod in agreement.

Cade continued. "And later, this truck comes to haul him off. KSI. Kinetic Solutions." Amy pondered over the name. Where had she heard that before? "Defense, aerospace, government contracts. And they designed this drone."

Shane took up the conversation. "So these government guys just hunt you down, and then pass you off to this KSI?" He turned to look at Amy. She met his gaze.

"Apparently." she shrugged.

"The company is headquartered in Chicago," Cade informed the Autobots, completely oblivious to the cousins' conversation. "That could be where they were taken."

"No way to get inside without a battle." Hound observed. Amy snarled silently. Chicago. The city where the final battle between the Autobots and Decepticons had taken place and then everything went to Pit. Just slaggin' great. Her thoughts began to wander as she started to doze off. She had been fighting it for most of the conversation but the cold was getting to her and she could feel her body starting to shut down. Finally, she gave in and surrendered to the blessed embrace of sleep. Only problem was she had fallen asleep on her feet.

**A/N Okay, I know a lot of you out there are wondering who the hell are these mysterious bots that are helping the Autobots. Yes, I know I've sorta kinda stretched the mystery about them over the last four chapters, having them pop up in battles, but this is the last chapter for that. Next chapter will reveal all. Consider this chapter the calm before the storm. ;D**


	6. Protectors

**A/N Gomenasai! I didn't mean to be this late! Life got in my way and the holidays have made the craziness 10X worst. I still can't believe Christmas is almost here. Where did 2014 go?! Anyway, here it is, the chapter to introduce my precious OCs. If anyone would like to draw them, you have my permission. **

: Hello :** - comm. link**

_Hello-_**bond**

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><p>Amy shifted a bit, feeling strangely warm. Hadn't she been cold earlier? Part of her muddled mind answered that question by acknowledging the blanket she was wrapped in. With a smile, she nuzzled deeper into it, the thought of waking up being the farthest thing from her mind. But her brain refused to let her sleep more as it screamed at her to wake up. With a moan, she tried to ignore it. Then the events of yesterday came back to her like a sledgehammer and she sprang awake as if stung. At first, she was confused. All she saw was black. Black with streaks of…yellow? Looking up, she found herself staring into the sky blue optics of the Autobot scout.<p>

"Bumblebee?" she whispered. The yellow helm nodded and looked at her quizzically as she yawned and stretched. "Where is everyone?" She kept her voice down as she didn't want to wake anyone. Bee gestured to the three humans sleeping near a dying campfire and then beyond them to where the Autobots were quietly conversing amongst themselves. Gathering up the blanket in her arms, Amy stood up. Her gaze darted between the humans and the Autobots a few times before she turned to the scout. "Bee, I need to talk to the Bots. But first, I need to get something. Just give me a minute."

Not waiting for an answer, she jumped down from Bee's servo and hurried over to the camp. Bumblebee watched as she laid the blanket near Tessa before turning sharply to rummage through Cade's things. She pauses suddenly and rolls her left shoulder experimentally. Shaking it off, she stands up, runs back to him and climbs into his offered servo. Rising to his pedes, the Camaro practically tiptoes past the slumbering humans until he was far enough that he could walk normally to his friends. Optimus was the first to spot the youngling.

"Bumblebee? What is it?" The scout extended his servo. "Amy?" The brunette grinned up at the Autobot leader.

"Hey, Optimus." The blue and red mech frowned at her.

"What are you doing up at this hour, youngling?" he asked in a fatherly tone. "It's almost midnight."

"I usually get up at this time," Amy shrugged off his concern. "Besides, I needed to talk to you guys about something." Optimus was not the only one surprised at this statement. The others gathered around as Bee let the girl down. She pulled out the droid she had taken from Cade and began to fiddle with the wires. "I know Cade already showed you what he found in this droid," she gladly accepted Drift's help again. "But that's not all he found." She tweaked another wire. "He also found this. The truck leaves with Leadfoot, but then…watch."

The Autobots watch in shock as a group of civilian cars, about six or eight, tear down the road, transforms and attack the humans with a vengeance. Silver blades and claws tear into flesh and bone, crimson liquid splatter across multiple bright and dark chassis, laser fire set bodies and vehicles aflame, enacting ten times the savagery with which the humans had shown Leadfoot. The footage ended with the image Cade had been looking at the night before. The one of the shadowed figure with the piercing, dark glare. Disconnecting the droid, Amy climbed out of the Bugatti, allowing him to transform. Everyone was dumbstruck, even Hound. Drift was the one who finally broke the silence.

"Who was that?" he murmured. Crosshairs shook his helm.

"Don't know, mate. But they were downright scary, those bots." he answered in the same hushed tones.

"They're called the Antima Sa Rai," Amy glared up at them with narrowed eyes, "a vigilante team working in the shadows to protect your kind from any and all human threats. And they are not scary, they're just protective. To mess with even one of them or someone close to them is to sign your own death warrant. They will do everything and anything in their power to protect the ones they care about, even at the cost of their own lives."

"And you know this how?" Hound gave her a look that said he didn't believe her. Amy glanced at him and disappeared. Amongst the startled exclamations, the familiar sound of shifting metal filled the air and everyone turned to see Amy's black Firebird stand up. It walked out into the moonlight, revealing the frame of a 16 foot tall, black/silver femme with a black visor covering her optics. Everything about her screamed speed, power, and danger.

"Because, I am one of them."

Optimus didn't know which surprised him more: Amy disappearing before his optics or her voice coming from this new femme that had been her bike.

"My name is Nightshadow," her visor snapped back into her helm, revealing a pair of sapphire optics. "Antima saboteur, at your service."

Suddenly, something clicked in Optimus' processor. "It was you!" he blurted. "You were the black bot at the farm!"

Nightshadow looked to the side and muttered lowly, "Yes, that was me."

For a long moment that felt like an eternity, no one said anything. Several glances were shared between Drift, Crosshairs and Hound, probably to decide whether or not she was a threat. Bumblebee simply stared at her, more in amazement than in shock and she did not blame him. She was the first femme he had seen in a long time as the Arcee triplets had been killed in the battle against the Fallen in Egypt. Optimus looked like he wasn't sure what to think and, honestly, neither did she. She was so used to hiding in the shadows, attacking her prey and fleeing before they knew what hit them that coming out and staying in the light this long was making her uneasy.

She wrapped her arms around her torso to give herself some comfort as well as try to organize her thoughts. There was so much she wanted to say but she had to say them correctly or else she was just going to ramble all over the place. She was unaware that her left heel had been tapping until a large servo rested on her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. Startled, she looked at the red and blue armor before raising her gaze into the kind, wise, fatherly optics. Her spark tightened as she averted her gaze, ashamed by what she had seen. She had disappointed him. She had not been completely truthful to him and now she had hurt him. The words flowed before she could stop them.

"I apologize for the deception, Optimus, but please," she looked up at him with beseeching optics, "understand that it was with good reason that I withheld the truth."

Optimus nodded once and removed his hand to let it rest behind his back, taking on the stance of a commander waiting for an explanation from a subordinate. Nightshadow fidgeted slightly under his gaze. She retained the desire to just turn and run. The words were out there now; there was no going back. Taking a steadying intake, she began.

"When it became clear that humanity had risen against you, I, as well as numerous young adults, youths and children around the globe, took a stand for you. We've been watching you ever since Mission City. In fact, some of us were there and witnessed the battle first hand. We knew you stood for peace and justice; that was easy to see. We were elated when we learned about the creation of NEST and many dreamed of the day that they would grow up and join to help you defeat the Cons. We heard from very trustworthy sources that your homeplanet was uninhabitable and that you hoped to make Earth your new home until you can find a way to bring life back to Cybertron. We wanted to help you achieve that.

We worked behind the scenes, growing stronger in numbers with people who supported you and wanted to help. But before we could make ourselves known to you, Chicago happened, NEST was disbanded and then the mess with Cemetery Wind. Because we spoke out in your defense, we became targets. In a desperate attempt to protect our loved ones, we eliminated all electronic traces of our families and friends, relocating them to secure areas where the government will never find them. Afterwards, a group of us came together and decided to strike back by sabotaging all Cemetery Wind operations. And when we found out about them hunting your friends under the story of killing Decepticons, well," she gestured to the rock face where the video had been, "you can clearly see how we felt about that."

Silence reigned as the Autobots took in the information. They never knew the children of Earth had taken a stand with them and now their youngest allies were being persecuted and hunted by their own government. Optimus' spark constricted in grief as he wondered how many unknown allies he had lost. Soothing warmth touched his spark, startling him a bit. He focused on the sensation as it slowly wrapped around his spark in a calming, reassuring way before retreating quickly. Optimus reached out over this new found bond but, to his despair, he found that it was blocked. All he could perceive from it was a hint of fear and self-rebuke. He was considering trying to remove the block and reassure the being on the other side that it was alright, when Nightshadow's voice shattered his concentration.

"We haven't suffered any losses as of yet. Injuries and a few close calls, but no deaths. Everyone is safe."

The collective vents of relief made the Antima smile. She had figured that that was what they were worried about. Earth's children were seen in the optics of the Autobots as sparklings that need to be protected. And to know that such young creatures were fighting for them, protecting them, putting their lives on the line for them…it was enough to make even the most war-hardened veteran glitch.

Drift took a step forward to ask a question that had been bothering him since the beginning of the conversation. "What of the humans? Were they aware of your secret?"

Nightshadow shook her helm. "Only Shane. I entrusted the knowledge to him because I knew he would keep it and he was so unknown in our family that I doubt anyone would believe we were related." She saw their confusion. "We're distant cousins. Emphasis on distant," she deadpanned.

"And your fiancé?" Optimus prayed that, at the very least, she had not kept this from the man she was going to marry.

"He knows. He's fine with it."

"Were you going to tell the others about this?" Crosshairs seriously wondered if she had had any plans at all to tell the Yeagers. Another shake of the helm was his answer.

"No," her voice revealed just how much she regretted that choice. "I wasn't. I wanted to but, the less people who know the better." She looked away. "Besides, I didn't want to get between Shane and Tessa, that's why I left on missions so many times. The less they saw of me, the better."

: I wouldn't be so sure of that. :

Nightshadow turned to the scout. "What do you mean?" Bumblebee gestured behind her. She turned around and froze when she saw Cade, Tessa and Shane standing behind her. She silently reprimanded herself for not hearing their approach. She took a step back but a servo on her shoulder halted her attempt to escape. "How much did you hear?" Her voice came out harsher than she had intended but as she was starting to feel trapped, she tended to lash out a bit. Unaffected, Cade stepped towards her.

"Everything."

Nightshadow looked away as a lump formed in her neck cables.

"But what I want to know is,"

She shuttered her optics, bracing herself.

"How is it you became a robot?"

Wait, what? Her optics snapped open and stared at Cade. She couldn't believe it. He had just heard her admitting to lying to him and Tessa for over two years and he was wondering about how she can turn into a robot? Seriously? That's what he's focused on? She shifted her gaze between the three humans, trying to find any sign of hate, betrayal or fear. Instead, what she did see was enough to cause the lump in her throat to reform. Kneeling down to be more on their level, she opened her mouth but no sound came out. She cleared her vocalizer and tried again. "How can you forgive me like that?" her voice came out a bit raspy. "After everything I…" her words were cut off by Cade placing a hand on her knee. He looked into her optics as Tessa and Shane joined him, laying their hands over his.

"You are family to us. Nightshadow, Amy, you are you and we will always stand by you, no matter what. Yes, you kept the truth from us and yes, it did hurt that you didn't trust us enough to tell us, but we understand why you did what you did. But you have to promise that, from now on, there will be no more secrets."

Nightshadow nodded, blinking back tears that threatened to fall. "Agreed." The humans backed away a bit as she stood up. She turned to face the Autobots. Hound gave her a welcoming smile, Crosshairs nodded once, Drift bowed and Bumblebee bounced a bit on his pedes in excitement. Optimus met her gaze and gave her a warm smile that made her feel safe and loved. The sound of a throat being cleared caught her attention. Looking down, she saw Cade giving her a look that said he was waiting for something. Her processor ran through the conversation and she realized what he was waiting for. Well, no time like the present.

"Oh, right. My ability to transform." Cade nodded. Glancing around, she realized that everyone was also waiting to hear her explanation. Nervous, she rubbed the back of her helm. "Heheh, yeah. Uh, about that. You see…OUCH!" she yells, clutching her shoulder as a phantom pain shoots through it. Drift is immediately at her side, steadying her before she topples over. Air pants through her vents in an attempt to cool her systems. "What the slag?" she mutters as she manages to straighten.

"Are you alright?" Drift asks, looking over her shoulder.

The sound of an approaching engine cuts her off before she could respond. Everyone turns to see a silver sports car drive into view. Optimus and Bumblebee do a double take. The car was a Pontiac Solstice! As they watched, the Solstice transforms, revealing a silver minibot with a bright blue visor, clawed digits and swept back audio horns.

"Were yah not answerin' yah comm?! Dancer's be'n callin' yah for hours!" Sweet Primus, even the accent was the same.

"Jazz?" Optimus breathed, unwilling to believe his optics. The mech glanced at him for a minute but it was enough to see the sorrow in his features.

"Sorry, Prime, but no. This is not Jazz. This is my younger brother, Rapper." Offering him an apologetic smile, she addresses the newcomer. "What's going on, bro?"

"We got a hit. Para needs yah at these coordinates by dawn."

Nightshadow's optics dimmed as she examined the data file sent to her. They brightened again and she nodded in gratitude. "Thank you, Rapper. I shall alert the others of this." Her gaze narrowed as she took in his tight features. "Is something wrong with your shoulder?"

Barely restraining a wince, Rapper shook his helm and flashed his best smile. "Nothin' to worry about, sis. It's just ah scratch." Nightshadow was not convinced.

"Rapper. I know you have blocked your side of the bond with Dancer and I due to your latest mission. But this pain I'm sensing in my shoulder is not mine and, unless Dancer has gone off on her own mission which I highly doubt, it is not hers either. And before you ask, yes, I already checked with her. That leads me to conclude that you, dear brother, have managed to get yourself hurt and I doubt a mere scratch causes that much discomfort."

Rapper huffed. "You've been hanging out with Howl too much. Alright, Shadow, you got me. I kinda had a close call during the raid. The humans managed to get a hit in."

Nightshadow's optics widened with worry. "How bad?"

In answer, the silver minibot moved his left shoulder, causing sparks to fly. This caused his sister to firmly yet gently grab him and turn him to get a better look at the wound, scolding him about being more careful or else he'll end up like their father.

"That wound isn't going to make it back to base." She halted her lecture to growl. "I'm calling Thrasher and Red Alert in for an emergency evacuation." Rapper began to protest as she pressed a servo to the side of her helm. "Don't argue with me. They hit you with some of those special missiles of theirs and some large pieces of shrapnel have gotten embedded into several important energon lines. You're leaking like a siphon! You need medical attention now!"

Rapper ducked his helm in shame. He knew his sister was worried about him and rightfully so, as he could be pretty reckless at times. He had hoped to hide this injury from both his siblings and get the usually lecture from Thrasher. Well, that plan was out of the window. He should've known that Shadow would pick up on his discomfort. Out of all of them, she was the most sensitive to the feelings of others. He just wished they wouldn't…worry…so…tired…why?...

"Rapper!" Nightshadow screamed in horror as her brother crumpled to the ground. She moved to grab him but another pair of servos beat her to it. Optimus gently cradled the young mech as he eased him to the ground, careful to not jostle his injuries. Crosshairs drew closer to get a better look at the wounds she had described. He shook his helm.

"Femme's right, Prime. The mechling needs help now or he will not last the day."

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><p><strong>Didn't see that coming, did ya? (kudos to Luna Uchiha666 for figuring it out) The secret is out but now her dear little brother is dying. What's going to happen next? Mmmm, wait around to find out.<strong>

**Nightshadow: Finally, you reveal me! Do you know how long I've been waiting to get on here? And why did you dangerously injure Rapper?**

**Me: You've been waiting since chapter one and I needed to put something in as the cliffhanger. Your big reveal was suppose to be the cliffhanger for chapter 5 but you fell a sleep instead. I had to do something!**

**NS: Hey! I was running for my life. I needed the recharge.**

**Me: I know. Anyway, hasta luego, my readers! Until next time! :D**

_**Beta Note: Hey, yall. Just wanna ask that you don't get too mad at Galem for the delay. The last week has been my fault, but obviously this chapter was worth it right? I mean, not even I saw this coming. Way to go, Galem! Remember to leave a comment guys. This chapter deserves it.**_


	7. Family

**A/N I would like to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favorited my story. You guys are the best! And to those who read my story, I would like to say thank you as well and I pray you are enjoying it as much as I am writing it. :D**

**Now then, enough chatter! On with the story!**

**I do not own "Fields of Hope"**

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><p>Optimus may have been saddened that the mech before him was not one of his best friends come back to life, but that did not stop him from running to his aid to catch him in his arms nor did it stop the fear that pulsed in his lines at the sight of the mechling's shuttered optics and limp frame. The dread only intensified at Crosshairs' words. He couldn't lose him. Though he had just met the youngling and knew nothing about him, other than being Nightshadow's little brother, he was not going to let the humans take another Cybertronian life, not if he could help it. A choked sob caught Prime's attention. Lifting his gaze, he saw Nightshadow with her helm down, a servo over her mouth and tears flowed from her shuttered optics. She was desperately trying to keep it together but who knew what agony she was experiencing from the bond she shared with her sibling. Bumblebee came forward and wrapped her in an embrace, Hound coming over to lay a servo on her shaking shoulder while Drift rested his servo on her helm in a gesture of support. "Is there anything you can do to help him?" Optimus turned pleading optics to his sharpshooter. Out of all of them, Crosshairs had the most medical knowledge.<p>

"I don't know, but I think I might be able to staunch the flow a bit."

Optimus nodded in understanding and turned to Nightshadow again. Sensing his gaze, she turned to meet it and nodded. "Do it," Optimus ordered, easing the mechling into Crosshairs' arms. He took Drift's place at Nightshadow's side as the samurai went to assist his friend. Cade came over to stand by Hound.

"Will he be alright?"

She didn't take her gaze off of her brother as she answered. "Hard to say. He is very weak due to having lost a lot of energon. If he doesn't get an energon drip in him and those lacerations repaired, he'll bleed out." Her optics dimmed for a minute before brightening again. "Alright already, yeesh! Just hurry it up, you guys!" she growled, her voice cracking slightly.

"Who are Thrasher and Red Alert? You mentioned them earlier."

"And how is Rapper your brother?"

Shane and Tessa stood nearby, both watching the operation worriedly. Shane had had the honor of meeting the black Anima's siblings a few times in the past and had always had a soft spot for little Rapper. He silently prayed to God and Primus that Rapper would pull through.

"Scrap that, why does your brother look like Jazz?" A small smile graced Nightshadow's lips at Hound's gruff voice. She decided to address his question first.

"Rapper wanted to look like our father. The only thing that's different is that Rapper's paint job is a lighter silver and his visor is more of a blue topaz than a blue diamond."

"Whoa, wait a minute." She glanced over at Bumblebee with a raised optic ridge. She had been wondering when he would start talking, seeing that Ratchet had fixed his voice box before the battle of Chicago. "What do you mean 'look like your father'? You can't possibly be…I mean, he never…that is…"

"Careful, Bee," Nightshadow chuckled. "Don't hurt yourself. Believe it or not, Autobot Jazz is mine, Rapper and Dancer's father."

"Dancer?" Bee put a servo to his helm. This was too much info for one night but something told him this was only the beginning. Optimus, on the other hand, kept looking between the two Antimas, comparing them with images he had saved of the silver saboteur. He had to admit, while Rapper looked like a complete clone, Nightshadow shared Jazz's visor, clawed digits and, if what he had seen in the recordings earlier were any indication, his skills as a master saboteur. Which brought up the question of what did this 'Dancer' character inherit.

Nightshadow nodded, unknowingly interrupting Prime's musings. "Moondancer, my twin sister. She's our Chief Communications Officer." She turned her attention down to her cousin. "And to answer your question, Shane, Thrasher is our Chief Medical Officer and Red Alert is one of our field medics."

"They related to anybot we know?" Hound seemed to be taking the news better than the others. Crosshairs and Drift were probably restraining their reactions to focus on saving Rapper.

"Thrasher is Ratchet's son and Red Alert is the son of Arcee."

"Your CMO is the son of our CMO?" Hound threw his helm back and let out a good natured laugh at Nightshadow's affirmation. "Decided to follow in his old mech's pedesteps? Good on 'em. Bet he's a chip off the old block, huh?" That got Nightshadow laughing.

"Mech, you have no idea. He's even taken up his father's habit of wrench throwing!"

Their merriment was cut short as a shout from Crosshairs caught their attention. Optimus, at first, thought it was a shout of success but the sight that greeted him sent a dagger of terror through his spark as he felt the energon drain from his faceplates. Rapper, who had been as still as death during Crosshairs' ministration, was now trembling and bouncing off the ground as if he was being electrocuted, his mouth open in a silent scream. The samurai and paratrooper were doing their best to hold him, shouting at him to calm down, but to no avail. The mechling's arms and legs were flailing around; Drift had already received quite the blow to the olfactory sensor and had stumbled back a few paces. Nightshadow streaked forward and had her brother's jerking frame in her arms before anyone knew she had moved. Skillfully avoiding his arms, she cradled him to her, pressing close to his audio horns and started to sing softly as she slowly rocked him in time to the melody.

"Konna ni tsumetai tobari no fukaku de

Anata wa hitori de nemutteru

Inori no utagoe sabishii nohara wo

Chiisana hikari ga terashiteta

Anata no yume wo miteta

Kodomo no youni waratteta

Natsukashiku mada tooku

Sore wa mirai no yakusoku

Itsuka midori no asa ni

Itsuka tadoritsukeru to

Fuyugareta kono sora wo

Shinjiteiru kara

Fields of hope"

As she continued to croon, Rapper began to calm down. His trembling ceased, he wasn't striking out at anyone, instead a keen emitted from his vocalizer the minute he heard her voice and he shifted slightly to curl further into her chassis. He managed to wrap his arms around her mid-section and buried his helm in her shoulder plating. She continued to sing until she was certain he was in a light recharge. Then, she paused in her movement and beckoned that it was safe to approach. Thankfully, Rapper's back was to Crosshairs so he had no difficulty resuming his work. The young Antima tensed slightly at the foreign touch, but relaxed again and leaned into his sister's touch as her servos massaged the back of his neck cables, her voice still humming softly in his audios and across their bond.

Behind them, the others watched in awe at how easy she had comforted her brother. Optimus gave a small smile at the sight, having taken a still image of them. It was obvious how much Nightshadow loved her brother and how much Rapper looked up to his sister. There was no doubt in his mind that their other sister, he was still trying to get over that Nightshadow had a twin, was sending them support and love over their sibling bond. But something worried him about Rapper's condition. Normally, when a bot went into such convulsions, they offlined. So how was it that Rapper was still alive? Was it because of the strength of the bond? Or was it because…? He wasn't aware that he had spoken out loud until a voice answered from his right.

"He wasn't convulsing from energon loss." Optimus lightly jumped when he glanced over and had to reset his optics as a tall, blue bot materialized out of the air. "He was convulsing from a nightmare. The same one by the looks of it." Optimus could see the worry in the youngling's optics as he watched the siblings. As if sensing his gaze, the newcomer turned fully to the Autobot leader, stood at attention and saluted crisply. "Shifter, Antima spy, son of Autobot Mirage, at your service, sir."

Optimus could not suppress the smile as he returned the salute. "At ease, young one." The son of his spy, Mirage. Apparently, invisibility runs in the family.

"Sir." Shifter relaxed slightly, his lavender gaze once more finding its way to his friends, giving Optimus a chance to look the new mechling over. Shifter was a bit bulky but he could easily see the leanness underneath. His helm mirrored his father's original design back on Cybertron and he had the sharp, claw-like digits that Mirage had sported after arriving to Earth. A stray thought went through his mind of what weapons he possessed when Hound spoke up.

"Kid always get nightmares?" Hound wasn't going to lie, seeing the son of one of his best friends thrashing around like he was on the brink of death had both terrified and angered him. He silently swore that when he found the person responsible, he was gonna blast them.

Shifter hmmed in confirmation. "This one wasn't as bad as before, though. The first month was terrible. He would scream so loud that after three weeks, Thrasher said that he would blow his vocalizer the next time he screamed, never to talk again. Nightshadow and Moondancer did not take well to the news and doubled their efforts to calm him before he could scream. He has been getting better but this is the first time I've seen him this bad in three years."

"Why would you have nightmares in the first place?" Shifter flicked his gaze over to the samurai before lowering it to his pedes.

"Not all of us." He received a private message from Nightshadow. Upon opening it, he snapped his helm up and looked up to see her watching him from over her shoulder. She nodded once before returning her attention to the youngling in her arms. "Just the younger kids, like Rapper and myself. The older kids, the young adults, Nightshadow and Moondancer, daughters of Jazz; Paramount and Duke, the sons of Optimus Prime; Ambercrest, daughter of Blaster; Cannonfist, son of Ironhide; Thrasher, son of Ratchet; Howl, son of Prowl and Warning Flare, son of Arcee, they didn't have any nightmares because they had come from good families that loved and cared for them. They have been helping us before we became Antimas."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out!" The bots looked down at the humans to see Cade holding his hands to form a T. "Can someone please tell me just what is going on here? I mean, first we learn there's a group of human children out protecting the Autobots , a group of which you claim you're a part of and yet, I see, standing in front of me a something-teen foot tall Cybertronian." He put the emphasis on the words 'human' and 'Cybertronian'. "And now you're saying that you are the children of the Autobots and not just the Autobots but dead Autobots who fell in previous battles. Care to explain?"

"I…w..well, that is…I mean..we…uh…" Shifter stumbled back a pace in fear. He had not been expecting such questions and wasn't sure if he should reveal that much information. His uncertainty mixed with the expectancy of his audience brought back painful memories. He heard several voices calling out to him but he couldn't register what was being said as he was swallowed up by the agony. Feeling the familiar sensation of being strangled, he clawed at his throat, mouth open as he tried to make his fans work. He could feel the heat building up in his frame, black spots appeared at the edge of his vision and he could feel his leg struts give out. He shuttered his optics and braced himself to impact with the ground but unshuttered them when he felt someone grab him, carry him bridal-style, and hold him close to their spark. The frightened youngling within wanted so desperately to curl as close as possible to the calming sparkbeat but his processor reprimanded him that such immaturity was unbefitting of an Antima of his rank. Before he could stop it a low moan escaped his mouth as he clutched his helm in an attempt to stop the sudden dizziness. This drew Nightshadow's attention. Upon seeing the trouble the young spy was in, she quickly handed her brother into the waiting arms of the newly arrived white and red mechs and hurried to the young spy's aid, shouldering her way past Drift and Bumblebee to approach the green commando.

"Shifter?" she reached out to caress his shoulder a bit. "Ya alright?" Shifter didn't look at her or say anything, he just curled slightly into himself then uncurled.

"What's wrong with him?" Hound demanded as he held the light blue mechling closer to his chassis, ready to assist in any way he could. He had been best friends with Mirage and, if Shifter was all that remained of his friend, he was going to do everything in his power to protect him.

"He's gone into relapse." Moving her left servo to where her right had been, she gently placed it on the top of his helm. "Shh, shh. Easy, Shifter. Easy, youngling. It's alright, you're safe. Just relax. I'll take it from here."

"B..but I..I was supposed to…" his protest was silenced by a digit over his lips. Startled, he looked at the black femme whose exposed optics glowed softly with love, kindness and guilt.

"Yes, and I apologize. I never took into consideration that they would start to bombard you with questions. I let my grief over Rapper's condition blind me to my responsibility and I put you in a position that you are not ready for yet." Shifter opened his mouth to object but a shake of her helm silenced him. "Rest, Shifter. Relax and go into recharge. You'll feel better afterwards." It was quite impossible for him to not follow that order as the gentle caresses to his helm continued to lull him into a much needed recharge. Satisfied, Nightshadow slowly turned blazing optics on the others, more specifically, the humans.

"What happened?" she growled, her gaze directed at Cade.

Everyone else immediately took a step back. If the images they had seen were any indication, they did not want to get in the line of fire if Nightshadow decided to attack. Cade swallowed thickly.

"I only asked for an explanation as to how an Earth born human can transform into a Cybertronian."

"And you had to be so demanding about it?" The way she said it made it more a statement than a question. Cade hung his head, a flush of shame creeping up his neck at the disapproving look she was giving him. It made him feel like he was a child being reprimanded by his mother. He looked up at the sound of her letting out a deep ex-vent.

"Cade, next time you wish to inquire about such things, I'd appreciate it if you did not traumatize my agent with unnecessary interrogation."

"Your agent?"

"Yes, Bumblebee, my agent. Shifter here is a Special Operations agent, a department that I am head of."

"So?" Cade was starting to look a bit defiant, obviously thinking he had found a loop hole in her words. "Just because you are the head of a department, doesn't always mean you get to be Miss High-and-Mighty."

That statement earned him an angry glare. "I never let the power of my position go to my head." Despite the rage that boiled in her lines, she kept her composure and fought to keep her voice calm yet stern. "I did not rise to the rank of Third In Command of the Antimas by having a big ego."

If anyone was expecting something different, that was nowhere in the list. All the bots gapped at her announcement, to which she just rolled her optics. After what felt like an eternity, Optimus broke the silence with a chuckle. "Decided to follow in your father's pedesteps?" Nightshadow grinned in reply as she made a so-so gesture with her servo. But before any other jests could be made, she became serious again. She turned her attention back to Cade.

"You wish to know the truth, Cade? Very well, I will tell you all that I can in the amount of time I have left. I do have a rendezvous to get to by dawn today and you need to get ready for your early start to Chicago." One glance at the lightening sky told them that they did not have much time. Not waiting for a verbal confirmation, she began.

"I told you that the children of Earth had taken a stand for you and that from them a group came together to sabotage Cemetery Wind raids. What I did not tell you was that that group was chosen because of their hearts. Out of all the humans, theirs were the purest towards the Autobot cause. Despite their ages, they were more than willing to fight and give their very lives to ensure the survival of the Cybertronian race. Their dedication was rewarded as they were infused with the spark energy of Autobots, alive," here she glared at Cade, "and deceased, making them their spark children and giving them the ability to become Cybertronians, leaving their human forms as secondary alt modes. And thus the Antima Sa Rai were born." She paused to let the information sink in.

"What about these nightmares?" Hound asked. "Shifter mentioned that you and several others did not get them due to being from good homes, but he and the other younger ones do." He looked down at the mechling still in deep recharge in his arms. He couldn't help but notice how Shifter looked more peaceful in recharge and it hurt his spark that one so young should go through so much hurt if his relapse was anything to go by. And, guessing from the pained glint in her optics, it was a sore subject for Nightshadow as well.

"They were orphans. Some of them didn't have parents while others were raised by single parents. But they all had something in common. They were abused. By their parents, their caretakers, kids at school and fellow orphans. They hardly had fun, never smiled, hid in the shadows, barely talked and were always frightened. At the time, I had befriended Paramount, Cannonfist and Moondancer. We all saw the dispair the children of our neighborhoods were in so we worked to help them. We stayed near to them, talked to them, walked them home and, slowly but surely, we gained their trust and managed to befriend them. By then, Ambercrest, Thrasher and Howl had joined us. We became a family of our own, welcoming the children into our homes, family gatherings and parties and showed them how to have fun. But, one day, they disappeared. We searched far and wide for them for almost a year before we finally found them. We were horrified to find that the sweet children we had grown to love had been abused to where they were worse than the first time we had met. I cannot begin to describe the fury that burned in us. From that day forth, we worked to free them from their abusive homes and orphanages. It was though those rescue operations that we developed the skills that we use today to thwart Cemetery Wind raids."

"How bad were they?" Optimus was surprised he could find his voice to talk. His spark burned with rage within him. Sparkling abuse was unheard of back on Cybertron, so to hear that human creators abused their sparklings and younglings on a normal basis, it was more than he could bear.

"Rapper was five when his father started to beat him daily. He even went as far as to cut him with the glass of broken beer bottles and burn him with cigarette butts. This went on for three years until Cannonfist and Paramount found him when his father was about to kill him out in the woods. Cannonfist managed to knock the man out while Para fled with Rapper. They brought him back to what was then our hideout and Cannonfist took him under his wing." She glanced sadly over at her young spy.

"Shifter was a ten year old orphan when Ambercrest met him. She noticed how he was always mocked and bullied in the school he attended and at the orphanage where he lived. She told me that no matter what they did or said to or about him, he didn't complain about it. He didn't even talk about it when she asked about his wellbeing. One day, Amber went over to pick him up so they could go to the park as usual. But when she arrived, it was in time to see him run out of the orphanage with something silver flying after him. He fell when it impacted with him. Worried, she ran over to check on him and was horrified to find a dagger buried hilt deep in his back. She immediately took him to the hospital and was grateful when Thrasher took over his surgery. Shifter recovered a few weeks later and accepted Paramount's offer to stay with us."

She paused again. This next part was the worst thing for her to relive but she had to tell it. As she gathered her thoughts, she took note of her audience's reactions. Cade held his fists at his sides as he struggled to calm down. Shane was no better but he busied himself consoling Tessa who was crying into his shoulder. Next to them, Drift clenched and unclenched his fists, obviously itching to grab his swords and run them through someone. Crosshairs looked like he was ready to shoot someone and that went for Bee as well. Meanwhile, Optimus was trying desperately to keep his rage in check while Hound clutched Shifter closer to himself as if afraid someone who take him. She turned her attention back to Bumblebee.

"The worst off was Bengal. He's your youngest son, Bumblebee." That got her his undivided attention. She looked into his optics and saw the building dread there. This was not going to be easy. "I was making my nightly rounds and I was just passing the local birth clinic on my way home when a commotion in an alley caught my attention. Using the shadows, I managed to get closer to the source of the racket without being seen. It was a young couple and in the arms of the wife was a newborn. I could tell immediately by the looks on their faces that they were not happy. I overheard them say things like 'ugly, unwanted, useless, extra baggage and mistake' at the child. They said many other nasty things concerning him that I would not dare repeat. I watched as they roughly removed the blanket he was wrapped in and the wife began to cut with a knife she had pulled out from her pocket. Every time the little one cried in pain, the husband would slap and beat him to silence him. Finally, the wife put the knife away and gave the baby to her husband who then tossed him in the nearby trash dumpster. Then, they both walked away laughing. No sooner had they turned the corner did I retrieve the infant from the trash and rush him home to Thrasher. Thrasher, in turn, rushed him to the hospital where he stayed for two months before they released him to us. I took full responsibility of him and named him Bengal. I never spoke of what happened that night to anyone. The only ones who know are myself, Thrasher, Cannonfist, Ambercrest and Paramount."

She turned sorrowful optics to the Camaro. "Bee, I'm sorry. I should have acted sooner. Bengal developed a severe illness due to infections from those wounds. We nearly lost him several times and he's grown up sick. Becoming an Antima has strengthened him somewhat but his spark is still weak. We don't know what else to do."

Bumblebee placed a servo on her shoulder, startling her. "You don't have to apologize. He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. You saved his life and for that, I am grateful." She stared at the sky blue optics that smiled back at her in pure gratitude, melting away the guilt that had plagued her spark for years. Resting a servo over his, she returned the smile.

"Thank you, my friend. That means a lot." Bumblebee gave her shoulder a squeeze before releasing her. Turning from the scout, she looked to the sky. It was almost dawn. "I must leave. I do not want to get in trouble with my CO by being late."

"Your CO?"

She flashed a cheeky grin at Crosshairs. "Paramount, who else?" She chuckled. "Hound, I need to take Shifter home. I can then get to the coordinates faster." She held out her arms to the commando. Hound was a bit hesitant to hand the youngling over but he knew that if he was going to get any help, it was going to be from those who knew him best. With that thought in mind, he surrendered his charge into her arms. Smiling thankfully, she addressed the others.

"We shall meet again soon, my friends. Stay safe on your travel to Chicago and may Primus protect you. 'Til all are one." With that, she turned and ran straight to the rock wall. What was she, crazy?! She can't run through a solid wall! She was going to kill the both of them! Optimus was about to call out for her to stop when a blue/green vortex appeared in front of her and closed the minute she passed through.

"What was that?" Shane finally broke the silence that had fallen on the group. Cade shook his head.

"No idea."

"So, now what?" Crosshairs asked. Optimus glanced around at his companions, meeting the each of their gazes before taking one last look at where Nightshadow had been five minutes ago.

"We drive to Chicago to find this KSI and our lost comrades." He returned his attention to his friends. "Autobots, transform and roll out!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN Ugh! Sweet Primus, I thought I would never get this chapter done! *checks out number count* You have got to be kidding me! I wrote that much?!**

**Nightshadow: What are you so surprised about? **

**Me: Nothing.**


End file.
